Guaranteeing the best care for the baby and its mother during childbirth is the main objective of the Gynecology and Obstetrics service and the Neonatology Unit at Parc Taulí.
Late clamping of the umbilical cord after delivery, both vaginally and by caesarean section, has long been introduced, as it has been scientifically proven to be very beneficial for the newborn.
In the case of premature babies or in complex deliveries, however, it was very difficult for professionals to keep the umbilical cord intact, as these babies required initial stabilization maneuvers during the transition to extrauterine life.
For this reason, a year ago the Neonatology Unit together with the Gynecology and Obstetrics Service introduced a new protocol to attend to high-risk and complex births by keeping the maternal-fetal circulation intact while the first neonatal stabilization maneuvers are carried out.
To ensure that the umbilical cord is attached to the mother, whether in the delivery room or in the operating room, the professionals of the neonatology team place the baby in a resuscitation cradle after birth, where they can stabilize it.
"We place the cradle as close as possible to the mother, so that once the baby is born we can stabilize and ventilate it. This cot is fitted with a heating system, so that the baby does not lose heat”, explains Dra. Marta Sardà, neonatologist.
This technique has improved the stabilization of premature newborns and those with some comorbidity, in their first minutes of life, guaranteeing the arrival of good blood flow to the baby's lungs. "The quality of life of the premature baby less than 32 weeks has completely changed. Doing the stabilization maneuvers next to the mother and without pinching the umbilical cord has reduced anemia of prematurity, avoiding blood transfusions and the administration of medications. As well as great brain benefits for newborns. All together, it has a positive effect on their recovery and adaptation", assures Dra. Sardinia
This new action procedure has been thanks to the joint and coordinated work of professionals from the Gynecology and Obstetrics Service, the Neonatology Unit and the Anesthesiology Service.
Dr. Laia Martí, section head of the Gynecology and Obstetrics Service and head of the Maternal Fetal Pathology Unit explains that "the professional team in the delivery room work in a coordinated manner to be able to offer the best care to mothers and their babies. Late clamping of the umbilical cord in full-term births has been a common practice in our center for years. Currently, with the introduction of this crib in the delivery room, we have also been able to bring this practice to premature babies".
This new way of proceeding began on March 23, 2023, with the birth of a 25-week premature baby who weighed 785 grams at birth. Since the operation of this device, 20 babies have been cared for.
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